


Glints in the Night

by Joyfulnerd



Series: The Bells [4]
Category: Veronica Mars (Movie 2014), Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: Engagement, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 09:51:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2768768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joyfulnerd/pseuds/Joyfulnerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Final part of The Bells. Inspired by some of the lyrics of "I Hear The Bells" by Mike Doughty. An engagement fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Glints in the Night

_They are like emeralds, and_  
 _Glints in the night_  
 _Commas and ampersands_  
 _Your moony face_  
 _So inaccessible_  
 _Your inner mind_  
 _So inexpressible_

THREE YEARS AFTER THE REUNION

"What?" Veronica nearly drops the plate she's loading into the dishwasher. 

"You heard me. Do ever think about us getting married?" Logan's leaning back against the kitchen island. He hopes to God he looks casual because he can barely hear himself over the pounding of his heart. _Please, please don't freak out, Veronica_. He honestly hadn't planned to ask her about getting married. They just finished dinner and the plan for the rest of the night is watching a movie on the couch. Logan doubts they'll finish the movie. They always seem to end up getting distracted by each other part way though which suits him just fine. It's a relatively typical night for them. While watching Veronica load the dishwasher, humming quietly to herself, Logan had found himself overwhelmed by just how much he loves his life with Veronica. The question about marriage just kind of slipped out. 

Veronica's movements are slow and deliberate as she continues to rinse the dishes and load them into the dishwasher. Logan can see that she's thinking, so he stays quiet, lets her take her time. Suddenly, she turns to look at him.

"Are you proposing?"

"No. Just testing the waters." Logan gives her what he hopes is a light, flirty smile. Obviously he fails and she can see the nervousness behind it, because he sees her expression soften just as he ducks his head to look at the floor. 

After a few moments, just long enough for Logan to feel the first stirring of panic, Veronica's feet appear in his field of vision and then he feels her hand, warm and slightly damp from the dishes, on his cheek. He lifts his head to look her in the eye. She doesn't look too freaked out. _Thank God_. When she drops her hand from his cheek and wraps her arms around his waist, Logan sighs and kisses her forehead. All he wants is to hold this woman in his arms for the rest of their lives. They're both quiet for few moments and then Veronica speaks. 

"I...I don't really know how I feel about marriage, Logan. I haven't really thought about it in a long time." She lets out a humorless laugh. "I don't have a great example to go by."

"Neither of us do, Veronica." 

Veronica pulls back but rests her hands on Logan's waist. He's grateful for the contact, a physical sign that he hasn't scared her off. She cocks her head to the side and looks at him with genuine curiosity.

"So why are you asking about it? Doesn't it scare you, the idea of marriage? We've both seen the aftermath."

Logan doesn't answer right away. She's not wrong. They both carry baggage from watching their parents' marriages crash and burn. Maybe he should be more gun shy than he is, but he's thought about this a lot. 

"It does scare me, but...not the way you think. Not enough to make me not want it. It's scares me because it's a huge thing to get married, to say, 'Yep, this is the one person I'm going to be with for rest of my life.' But I _know_ you're the one I want, Veronica."

Veronica breaks eye contact with him and it's her turn to stare at the floor. She's still looking down when she speaks again. "Our parents probably thought that too when they got married."

"Yeah, maybe, but we're not them. How many times have we told each other that, Veronica? And honestly, I don't think marriage is the thing that made my parents' relationship fail or your parents' relationship fail. It was infidelity and substance abuse and mistrust and a myriad of other things. Those relationships would have fallen apart whether they were married or not."

"But why take the risk, Logan?" Veronica looks up at him. She's starting to look agitated and a bit upset. "What if the added pressure of being actually married is too much? Why do you want to get married?"

"Well, for starters, with my job, there would be logistical advantages to being married."

"Logistical advantages? That's what you've got? How romantic, Logan." Veronica pulls out of his arms and starts walking away. 

Logan reaches out and grasps her bicep gently. "Hey, don't do that, Veronica. Don't walk away. We agreed neither of us would do that, remember?"

He hears Veronica sigh and then she nods and turns back around to face him. She wraps her arms around her middle and looks at him. "But seriously? Logistics? That's why you want to marry me?" She sounds a bit hurt. 

"Okay, first of all, you didn't let me finish. Second, you asked for my reasons. You would have rights and benefits as my wife that you don't have as my girlfriend. It's one reason to consider it." He takes a tentative step toward Veronica. "Obviously, I want to marry you, if you want to get married, because I love you, Veronica. You are the only one I want for the rest of my life. No matter what happens, that will always be true. You're it." 

Logan hasn't moved to touch her while he's talking, trying to give her some space, but he's itching to stroke her cheek, to run his fingers through her hair, to pull her into his arms. 

"I'm it, huh? Are we playing tag now?" Veronica gives him a small, almost timid smile. "You took me by surprise, Logan. I didn't know you were even thinking about that kind of stuff."

He takes her teasing as a cue and pulls Veronica into his arms, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

"Of course I think about this stuff, Veronica. As a certain girlfriend of mine frequently tells me, I'm a completely hopeless romantic." 

"There are worse things to be," Veronica says with a soft smile. 

Logan feels relief flood through him. He pulls back a bit but keeps his fingers laced together behind Veronica's back, holding her in his arms.

"I'm sorry for springing this on you. I shouldn't have done that. And listen," Logan looks deep into Veronica's eyes, glad to see that she's looking a bit more relaxed, "if you never want to get married, that's fine. I'm okay with that. Just think about it, okay? And talk to me about it. That's all I ask. If you decide marriage isn't a step you want to take, then we won't get married. I'll just be your boyfriend...for as long as we both shall live." He smiles at her and Veronica laughs. "Seriously though, Veronica, just...consider it as an option?"

Veronica takes a deep breath and nods solemnly. "I promise to think about it. Really think about it, Logan. Who knows? Maybe when we've been together 40 years, I'll surprise you with a big romantic proposal - roses, candles, the works." 

Logan grins broadly at the thought of them being together in 40 years, at the fact that Veronica can imagine it.

"Deal."

After that, they talk about marriage off and on. Sometimes the conversations are long and get a little bit heated. Other times, Logan just says, "Marry me?" and Veronica responds with a shrug and a noncommittal "Meh." When Logan deploys, the conversations become more rare, which is fine by both of them. It's not a topic either of them wants to discuss deeply while they're thousands of miles apart. But they are talking and Logan finds that he's content to wait and see what happens.

SIX MONTHS LATER

Logan rolls onto his back. He's panting a bit, trying to catch his breath. 

"Well, that was nice." 

He turns his head and looks at Veronica, his eyebrows raised. "Nice? Nice?!?" he asks, incredulous. "Do we need to start over again?"

Veronica gives him an almost predatory look. Her blue eyes are dark with hunger, her skin is flushed pink, and strands of her hair are sticking to the sweat on her neck and brow. _God, she's gorgeous._

"Round four sounds delightful, Lieutenant," Veronica says, her voice breathy and flirtatious.

The woman is insatiable sometimes. Logan's certainly not complaining and it's not like he doesn't understand it. They did just spend four months with a half a planet between them after all.

"A couple minutes breather, bobcat. That's all I ask." 

Logan closes his eyes. The sliding glass door to the balcony is open, allowing the night's cool air to breeze through their bedroom. The bed is soft and, after the months on the carrier, it feels huge and ridiculously luxurious. The woman he loves is lying next to him. Logan is content down to his bones and before long he feels himself starting to drift off. 

"I think we should get married." Veronica's voice is casual, as if she's mentioning they're out of coffee or something, instead of suggesting a complete redefinition of their relationship. 

Logan opens his eyes slowly and he stares at the ceiling for a moment before he turns onto his side to look at her. She's laying on her back, looking upwards. When she turns her head and faces him, her expression is relaxed, almost blank, but then she bites the corner of her lower lip and gives herself away. She's nervous. Logan's not sure how to respond to her pronouncement. Their standard snark seems like the best choice for now.

"Is this some sort of postcoital mania?" Logan puts a hand to Veronica's forehead and she bats it away and cracks a smile at him. 

"Actually, this is a precoital mania." 

It's been six months since that first marriage talk. None of their conversations since have necessarily ruled out the idea, but she's still managed to catch him off guard.

"What changed, Veronica? Your last email didn't seem too matrimonially inclined."

Veronica drops her eyes. She starts picking at the edge of the down comforter. "I talked to my dad," she says quietly.

For a moment, Logan feels a flare of panic. He and Keith have come a long way, to the point that Logan thinks he could even call Keith a friend, but old habits die hard and the idea of Veronica discussing their relationship with Keith will probably always be slightly terrifying. 

"So, what did your dad say?" 

Veronica is still staring at the bedding.

"Veronica."

She finally looks up at him. "He actually said a lot of the same things you did. That it wasn't marriage itself that failed my parents, that he and my mom wouldn't have worked out even if they hadn't been married." 

She looks down again. "It makes sense. Logically, I know that, but...it's still this idea I've had in my head for so long. 'I'm never getting married.' My dad looked so guilty and just...sad when I told him that. He apologized, said he's sorry I had to see so many marriages fail when I was so young and still raw from everything that happened with my mom. And he said...." Veronica falls quiet and Logan takes her hand, just holding it.

After a few moments, she speaks again, "He still believes in it, Logan." She looks at him. "Marriage. After everything we've seen working at Mars Investigations, couple after couple cheating and lying to their partners, even after his own marriage fell completely apart, he still believes a marriage can last."

"Okay." Logan's not sure what to make of this. He knows Veronica values Keith's opinion, but he's not sure why this would make her change her own mind about marriage. 

Veronica's eyes start to water and Logan reaches up to wipe away an errant tear. She doesn't cry easily and Logan knows whatever Keith said must have deeply affected her. 

Veronica reaches up and squeezes the hand Logan has at her cheek. "He believes in us, Logan. He said that what he's seen in the last three years makes him believe that married or not, you and I are going to make it, that you and I have been through fire together, and that he thinks we've created a life together that will last." 

Logan is dumbfounded. He knew Keith liked him just fine, but he had no idea Veronica's dad had such faith in him and Veronica. It's humbling and it makes Logan unreasonably happy to have gained not only Keith's approval, but his honest belief that he and Veronica were going to make it.

"I had no idea your dad had such poetic feelings about us." Logan smiles softly at her and wipes another tear from her cheek.

Veronica laughs quietly. Her voice is a bit shaky, but she smiles at Logan as she speaks again. "So I gave it a lot of thought and he's right. We are going to last so why shouldn't we get married? All those random couples I've done cases on over years? My mom? Why am I letting them decide how I feel about marriage? I love you, Logan. Only you for the rest of my life."

Logan's pretty sure he's stopped breathing. _Veronica_. God, hearing her say that. It's everything he's ever wanted since he was 17 years old. 

"Sooo...," Veronica smirks at him as she wipes the remaining tears off her cheeks. "I was thinking that if you're still up for the whole getting married, being together until the end of time thing, so am I."

Logan stares at her for a long moment and then cups Veronica's neck and pulls her into a deep kiss. He hopes he can convey with his gaze and his kiss what he's feeling because, for possibly the first time in his life, Logan Echolls is completely speechless. When they separate, they're both out of breath. Logan presses his forehead to Veronica's and waits for her to open her eyes and meet his. 

"Veronica, I am definitely still up it." 

Veronica laughs loudly and he kisses her again. 

"So, we're engaged now?" Veronica smiles up at him. She looks so happy and excited that it makes Logan's heart swell. He knows the look on her face is mirrored on his own. 

"Nope," Logan says cheerfully.

"What do you mean, nope? I said we should get married. You agreed. Engaged."

"Yeah, but you kinda of half-assed it. You forgot a very important part of the proposal process and now it's up to me to finish what you started." Logan gets up from the bed and Veronica gives a disgruntled "Hey!" 

"I'm coming right back. You aren't getting rid of me that easily, Mars. We're halfway engaged." He shoots her a flirty smile and walks over to their dresser. He opens up his sock drawer and digs around for a moment until he finds what he's looking for. 

When Logan turns around, Veronica is sitting up against the headboard, the white down comforter pulled up to her chest. She's watching him closely. When she spots what he's holding, her mouth drops open.

"Was that in there for your whole deployment?" she asks pointing at the ring in his hand. 

Logan grins at her, taking just a little bit of joy in catching her unawares. "Maybe you're not the masterful private eye you think you are, dear heart," he says as he settles back on the bed beside her. Veronica swats at his shoulder, but Logan sees her eyes are still trained on the ring. 

"How long, Logan? How long have you have had that ring?"

Logan feels a blush creeping up his neck. "About a year."

"A year? We've only been talking about this for a few months."

Logan smiles softly at her. "I know, but I saw this and wanted to have it in case. In case you wanted it in a year or five years or ten years or fifty years. Whenever you were ready, I wanted to be prepared."

"You really are a hopeless romantic, aren't you?" Veronica's gaze is tender as she looks into Logan's eyes. 

"There are worse things to be," Logan says softly. He holds up the ring. It's a simple design, rose gold with a single small round-cut diamond in a low profile setting.

"Marry me, Veronica?" 

Veronica takes the ring from him and slides it onto her left ring finger. The diamond catches the moonlight and glints brightly. She smiles at it and then up at Logan. 

"Yes." 

Logan pulls Veronica into his arms and just holds her for a long moment. She wraps her arms around him and he feels her nestle her face into the crook of his neck. He sighs and presses a kiss to her bare shoulder. "I love you, Veronica. 

Veronica pulls back a bit and looks him in the eye, "And I love you." She smiles broadly at him. "So _now_ are we engaged?" 

"Well, we've taken turns proposing to each other _and_ you have a ring on your finger. So yeah, I'd say we're engaged."

"Thank God." Veronica pulls Logan into a deep kiss and presses her body flush to his. "Now wasn't there some talk about round four?"


End file.
